1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which enables image forming by mounting part of the constituents for the process of recording images.
2. Background Art
In the field of image forming apparatus such as copiers, printers, etc., products which are enabled to record images by mounting a process unit, developer cartridge or the like have been conventionally developed and put on the market. Image forming apparatus of this type are improved in service performance such as simplifying exchange of consumed parts to be used for image forming such as consumable supplies, reducing machine suspension time due to usage items reaching the end of their life, reducing time for replacement of parts and simplifying parts replacement tasks.
One example of a cartridge for accommodating such usage items has been disclosed in Registered Patent No. 2704139. This is a cartridge configuration for replacement of consumable electrophotographic process components. In order to achieve the image forming process conditions suitable for the characteristics of the photosensitive member provided in this cartridge, the cartridge incorporates as a part thereof an information source which represents the characteristics of the photosensitive member. This information source is detected by the image forming apparatus so as to set up appropriate image forming conditions.
However, this image forming apparatus does not take into account the environment under which the machine is installed and operated. Accordingly, on the part of the machine-supplying manufacturer, it is necessary to prepare and store not only the cartridge parts but also various machine bases suitable for and demanded by the market of different environments (countries, areas, etc.) under which the machine is installed. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare various kinds of products ranging from cartridge to machine base, posing a distribution cost problem.
Thus, it is necessary to prepare a variety of products partially different in specifications, due to the differences in their destination, sales routes or the like. Taking developer cartridges of a shape for storing developer as an example, various developer cartridges different in the amount and characteristics of the developer held therein are prepared depending upon their destinations and sales routes.
Further, as to the machine bases onto which the developer cartridge is mounted, multiple specs of machines conforming to a maintenance system (various user maintenance specifications, various serviceperson maintenance specifications) suitable for the stored amount of developer of each developer cartridge are prepared, in accordance with their destinations and sales routes. Therefore, developer cartridges adapted to destinations and sales routes and various machine bases having different operating programs, for example, corresponding to different cartridges should be kept in stock.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which, based on the information obtained from a usage item mounted to the image forming machine base, determines the operational environment under which the machine is installed, and which is operated in accordance with the operational environment thus determined.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows:
The first aspect of the present invention resides in an image forming apparatus for forming images on recording media, comprising: a container of a constituent or consumable item to be used for image forming, including the constituent or consumable item and being removably attached to the machine base; and a controller for controlling the operations of various parts in the apparatus including the container, characterized in that the container has a management portion for managing the information as to the constituent or consumable item contained therein and the controller determines an operational environment under which the apparatus will be installed, based on the information, and sets operating conditions of the various parts of the apparatus.
The second aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having the above first aspect, further comprising: a detector for detecting a condition of the constituent or consumable item, wherein the controller, based on the information, monitors the condition of the constituent or consumable item by the detector.
The third aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having the above first or second aspect, wherein the controller checks if each part in the apparatus is capable of operating within the operational environment at a determined installed location.
The fourth aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through third aspect s, wherein the constituent or consumable item is a fixing unit, and the information managed by the management portion is information as to fixing conditions of the fixing unit.
The fifth aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through third aspect s, wherein the determined operational environment of the apparatus is a destination where the apparatus will be installed.
The sixth aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through third aspect s, wherein the determined operational environment of the apparatus is a language to be displayed on a display portion of the apparatus.
The seventh aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through third aspects, wherein the determined operational environment of the apparatus is power supply voltage to be supplied to the apparatus.
The eighth aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through seventh aspects, wherein once the operational environment has been determined based on the information, the controller cannot change the determined operational environment thereafter.
The ninth aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through seventh aspects, wherein once the operational environment has been determined based on the information, the controller is able to vary the determined operational environment thereafter within the predetermined range.
The tenth aspect of the present invention resides in the image forming apparatus having any one of the above first through ninth aspects, wherein if a container which needs a change of operational environment is mounted in the course of usage, the controller informs an operator of a fact.
In the present invention, based on the information obtained from the usage item container mounted to the machine base, the operational environment under which the apparatus will be installed at a local site is determined. That is, each container has different characteristics corresponding to the installed site (destination) where it is used with the image forming apparatus and has the information as to the characteristics in the management portion. When this usage item container is mounted to the image forming apparatus, the controller of the image forming apparatus, based on the information of this usage item container, adjusts the necessary parts of the image forming apparatus to the operating conditions matching the environment of the installed site (destination).
In this case, the container is a developer supply cartridge or a fixing unit, for example. The consumable item stored in the developer supply cartridge is a developer. The constituents contained in the fixing unit are fixing rollers and a heater. The information as to the constituent and consumable item includes the life information (the life time matching the country or site where the machine is installed: the used amount of developer or replacement timing of the fixing unit, etc.), the characteristics information (the characteristics suited for the country or site where the machine is installed: the developer material, fixing conditions, etc.). The operational environment designated by the controller includes the destination of the apparatus, the used language, the power supply voltage and warning management and display management of the timings and types of maintenance (types of user maintenance, types of serviceperson maintenance).
In this way, necessary conditions in accordance with the environment (destination country, installed site, etc.) under which the machine is installed are automatically set up, so that the various on-site setting of conditions needed up to now becomes no longer necessary. The setting of the timings and types of maintenance based on the life times and characteristics of items used resulting from difference in maintenance type becomes unnecessary too. Since the machine base can be used in common, this configuration is advantageous in cost throughout the stages of commodity production, stock and shipment, because it is no longer necessary to line up many kinds of machine bases, as have been needed conventionally.